NICK KING | nking@mdn.netBerryhill’s Cole Martin, right, tags out Newburgh’s Alex Brinson as Martin’s teammate Colton Loomis, left, closes in to help during the fifth inning of their game Thursday in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Gerace Stadium. less

NICK KING | nking@mdn.netBerryhill’s Cole Martin, right, tags out Newburgh’s Alex Brinson as Martin’s teammate Colton Loomis, left, closes in to help during the fifth inning of their game Thursday in the ... more

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NICK KING | nking@mdn.netBerryhill’s Cole Martin, right, tags out Newburgh’s Alex Brinson as Martin’s teammate Colton Loomis, left, closes in to help during the fifth inning of their game Thursday in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Gerace Stadium. less

NICK KING | nking@mdn.netBerryhill’s Cole Martin, right, tags out Newburgh’s Alex Brinson as Martin’s teammate Colton Loomis, left, closes in to help during the fifth inning of their game Thursday in the ... more

Down 4-1 in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and no outs, Berryhill faced a difficult situation. However, Loomis, who already had thrown seven wild pitches, was up for the challenge.

Looms proceeded to strike out the side as Berryhill Post 165 rallied for a 7-4 win against Newburgh Post 44 (Ind.) in the opening round of the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Northwood University's Gerace Stadium before 1,487 fans.

"That inning was huge for me," said Loomis, a Shepherd High graduate. "This game reminded me of my senior year at the state finals (a 13-6 win over Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard). I started off shaky, but once I got it dialed in, just let me go. (Tonight) everything felt good. In the last three or four innings, I felt better than any innings I have all summer."

Today, Berryhill plays Napoleon (Ohio) Post 300 at about 8 p.m. while Newburgh played a 10 a.m. game against Chippewa Falls (Wis.) in the losers' bracket.

"We're going to throw (Kenton San Miguel)," said Berryhill manager Steve Cronkright. "They're a good team. I think the last two times we played them in the Escanaba Tournament, two or three years ago, they beat us by one run both games."

Thursday, Newburgh scored three of its first four runs on Loomis' wild pitches.

"This was a huge win for us," said Loomis, who threw about 140 pitches. "It helps our pitchers and it is one less game that we need to win to get (into the American Legion World Series)."

Berryhill struck for its first run in the bottom of the second as Alex Rapanos led off with a single to left, and went to second on Jordan Herman's opposite field single to right. With Adam Pijaszek up, Newburgh starter Ryan DeMoss uncorked a wild pitch, moving the runners up a base. An error by the Newburgh shortstop allowed Rapanos to come home for the team's first run.

Neither team could add any runs through the sixth, although Newburgh had an opportunity to blow the game open in the fourth. But Loomis shut the door.

"Right about then, it was going to get ugly," said Steve Cronkright. "Colton battles. At that time, he wasn't sure where his ball was going. I was going to pull him out, but he wouldn't let me. I said, 'OK, I'll give you one more at-bat.' Then he goes out and strikes out the side."

After loading the bases in the fourth, with nobody out, Loomis was almost perfect as he only faced 19 batters in the final six innings, while striking out 13 and giving up one hit. For the game, he had 18 total strikeouts while allowing five walks, four earned runs and six hits.

"After the sixth, (coach Cronkright) came up and said, 'You're done,'" said Loomis. "But, I said, 'No, I'm not. This is my game. I feel really good right now. He let me stay around. But, he told me if I got in trouble, I was done."

Teammate Cole Martin agreed.

"I was sitting on the bench hoping the (coach Cronkright) would let him go," said Martin. "A couple of us were a little bit nervous (with Colton's start). But, he really pitched well and hit his spots."

Berryhill finally got its bats rolling in the sixth as they scored twice, making it 4-3.

Martin reached via an error, one of five committed by Newburgh, and designated hitter Rapanos drilled a double, scoring Martin. Herman followed with a line single to left, advancing Rapanos to third. DeMoss uncorked a wild pitch, bringing Rapanos home to make it 4-3.

"Earlier this season, Alex was struggling something terrible," said manager Cronkright. "Then, he and (assistant coach Danny Cronkright) went to work. They changed just a couple of things and Alex has been one of our better hitters the rest of the summer. DH isn't easy, but he handles it real well."

It was an inspired Berryhill team that added its final four runs in the seventh for the victory. Josh Ellis stroked a double that landed on the rightfield line. At that point, Cronkright brought in Josh Bailey to pinch run for Ellis. Alex Albrecht reached first on an error, sending Bailey to third. A DeMoss' pitch sailed to the backstop, bringing Bailey home and moving Albrecht to second. Lars Cronkright followed with a single, moving Albrecht to third while Cronkright went to second on the throw.

With the infield in, Cole Martin ripped a single to left, scoring Albrecht and Cronkright, with Martin ending up on second.

"We were fired up," said Martin. "Now, we're playing for something. We're not just playing to play, or to say that we've won stuff. Now it matters."

Martin scored the games' final run on an error.

"I'm glad we could come back, especially since we had a nice crowd out," said Steve Cronkright. "I thought, "Oh no. We got a nice crowd out and we're playing terrible, throwing the ball all over the place.'"

Albrecht had three hits while Rapanos and Herman each had two. Both Martin and Rapanos scored twice.

Rock Island (Ill.) 11, Gladwin 3

Eight walks and five errors spelled defeat for Gladwin Post 171 Thursday as Rock Island (Ill.) took an 11-3 victory in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament.

"We had five errors and you can't do that, and walk people," said Gladwin coach Terry Brokoff. "And, you got to hit. That is not enough to get it done."

Today, Gladwin played a 10 a.m. game against Chippewa Falls, (Wis.) Post 77.

"It is really tough," said Jake Myers, who played for Gladwin High last season. "We really wanted to pull off a win today, which would have been nice. We got to come back and get our bats together and start producing. We want to advance, that is what we came here to do."

Gladwin is no stranger to starting slowly in the American Legion playoffs as they began the state tournament with a 7-3 loss before advancing through the losers' bracket to claim second place, and a berth in the regional tournament. Berryhill Post 165 won the state, but as the host team, automatically qualified for the regional.

"They've got it in them to do it again," Brokoff said of his team. "But, definitely, the competition is a little better. We'll come back in the morning to give it our best shot."

Thursday, Gladwin's Taylor Jenkins and Rock Island's Jacob Sharp were stellar during the first four innings as each pitcher only gave up one hit.

Rock Island scored four runs in the fifth as Jenkins allowed two walks, and the defense committed a throwing error.

"We hung in there the first four innings before they started getting to us," said Brokoff.

Gladwin scored their first run in the fifth as Myers beat out a slow roller to third, went to second on a single by Mike Lyons and came home on a wild pitch.

Unfortunately, Rock Island added two runs each in the sixth, seventh and eighth to go along with a single run in the ninth.

Jenkins suffered the loss as he went the first 5 1/3 innings while allowing six earned runs, six hits, four walks and striking out two. Jordan Holbrook came on in relief in the sixth before Myers finished up the final 1 2/3 innings.

In the ninth, Trevor Karbowski singled to score Alec Gary and Myers for Gladwin's final two runs.

Clare graduate Tyler Beatty had two hits for Gladwin while Myers scored twice.

Danville (Ky.) 3, LaCrosse (Wis.) 1

In Thursday's first game, Danville (Ky.) took a 3-1 victory over LaCrosse (Wis.) as Rob Caudill went seven, strong innings on the hill.

He struck out eight while allowing four hits, and three walks as Brandon Weir earned the save by pitching the final two innings. Jacob Bodner was 2-for-4, including a double with a run scored and a run batted in.

LaCrosse committed three errors as Mitchell Voter suffered the loss while hurling eight innings, giving up seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and striking out five.